Metal Mouth Message Board

My next question has to do with brackets. I've noticed in the pics I've seen here that a lot of you have ceramic brackets on the front 4-6 teeth on the top. I'm assuming this is for appearances sake. Do you guys find that it makes a big difference in how "metally" your teeth appear? If there is a difference, was it worth the extra (assuming there was an extra) $$ you paid for that verses all metal? And lastly, if there was a extra amount you had to pay to get those, how much was the difference?

As you can tell, I'm gathering this info because I'm considering doing this myself when I get my braces on the 31st.

Thanks in advance!

I am so sorry for so many repeat posts. My PC is going beserk!!

Hi Manic,

I think the difference in price was about $250-400. I had 3 consults and the one I chose didn't specify the exact cost of 8 clear brackets. However, his price was in the same range as the others. I actually asked if I should get all metal since I had heard they work faster. Also when I smile you can see part of my bottom teeth which means you can see silver anyway. The Ortho the clear will work as fast as the silver and that he strongly recommended that I get clear on top. The tech also said the clear woud look good on my teeth because my teeth are fairly white and blend in well with the brackets.

I am now happy I took his advice. My clear brackets are smaller than my friend's ceramic brackets and seem a lot less bulkier. You can barely see them.

Also, as my teeth begin to move I am more aware of my overbite (probably because I am constantly looking at my teeth to see if there is movement) and I think I would be self conscious if i had metal brackets. They are also a good converstion piece since most people don't notice them at first.

Good luck on whatever kind you choose. Smile a lot and enjoy your "braclets"!!!

I went for clear on the top, and I'm really glad I did! For me, ceramics vs metal is like a backpack vs a nice briefcase -- they both get the job done, but one is more "professional" looking than the other. I'm out in front of people a lot with my job, and I find the ceramic look a lot less jarring. It was around US$400 to put clear on top versus metal.

Also in my case, my lower lip covers the bottom braces most of the time, so the only thing that shows are the clear uppers. If my lowers were visible, all metal might be a better look.